Where Am I? Creating an Anthology of Place Grade Levels 9-12 Objectives: In order to understand the essential question of How do changes to the landscape influence your sense of place? students define sense of place, explore changing landscapes, create an anthology of written and visual work reflecting their connection to place, and show their work in a coffeehouse. Students use discussion, photography, research, poetry, narratives, and sharing their work to explore and refine their understanding of place. Time Needed: 4 classes over 2-3 weeks Vermont s Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities: 1.5 Writing Dimensions (students write with purpose, voice/tone, organization, and details) 1.9 Narratives (in written narratives, students organize writing in a coherent whole) 1.23 Poetry (in writing poetry, students use a variety of forms) 4.6 Understanding Place (students demonstrate understanding of place) Grade Level Expectations: Writing Process WHS: 1 (students use the writing process) Materials & Resources: Landscape Change Program Archive, www.uvm.edu/landscape Landscape Change Program Tutorial, www.uvm.edu/landscape/learn/tutorials.html Art Supplies: 11X17 paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils Anthology of Place assignment sheet (below) Viewing and Listening sheet (below) Activities: 1. Hook Your Students 4. Culminating Activity Students create a landscape memory map, indicating areas of significance to them in their town/area/county, marking and annotating the landmarks with memories/explanations (see below). Anthologies coffeehouse including gallery of anthologies and poetry slam. 2. Introduce Concepts 5. Assessment Students discuss the concept of sense of place. Include how landscape change influences sense of place, connecting these ideas to landscape memory maps. Ongoing, informal assessment of student participation in discussions and peer assessments. Formal evaluation of students final products (see checklist below). 3. Apply Skills 6. Extensions Students locate archived photos of their area and reflect on how the landscape has changed and how this influences their sense of place; they create an Anthology of Place collection of poems, prose, photographs, and drawings about 4 locations on their landscape memory maps and peer-edit this product. This lesson could be adapted to continue over an entire year, with students taking pictures of their locations (or a location) during each season and reflecting on this change creatively. Upload these images and student written pieces to the LCP archive. Author: Becky Ebel, Vergennes Union High School. Specialty: Language Arts.
Detailed summary of curricular format: Session 1: (75 min) Where Am I? Lesson Plan Details 1) Landscape Memory Map (20 min): Students create a landscape memory map (see attached landscape memory map examples). a. This map highlights the students connection to place by asking them to think about specific areas or landmarks within their region that have a personal significance. It might be the field behind their house, the town green, a local mountain, etc. The map should include at least 6 places in their town/area/county that are important to them in some way. b. To indicate the specific locations or landmarks students may draw a picture, label the area, use a personal symbol, etc. Use large paper (11X17) to draw the map; colored pencils, markers, etc. are optional, however, students will need a final, polished draft of the memory map for their project. After they have drawn their maps and indicated important places students should add annotations or explanations about why they included these places. 2) Discussion (10 min): What is sense of place? What is connotated by the terms sense and place? How has your sense of place evolved over your lifetime? How is your sense of place shown in your landscape memory map? Ideas/terms that might emerge include: a. Connection or belonging to a community b. Understanding or knowing about the natural world/environment c. Stewardship d. Feeling of ownership 3) Introduce Anthology of Place assignment (see assignment description below) (5 min) 4) Introduction to LCP website (30 min): Students search for photos of their town, area, or county, ideally these photos will be sites on or near landmarks on their landscape maps. Note: students may not be able to find historical photographs of their exact locations, if this is the case then students may use photographs that evoke a similar feel to their places, find photos that depict their areas from a larger scale for example aerial views, or are near their locations. a. Introduce students to the website: www.uvm.edu/landscape b. Demonstration of search c. Brainstorm search terms d. Students search the archives e. Students may also find the following link helpful: www.uvm.edu/landscape/learn/tutorials.html 5) In-class time to plan and consult about anthology project (10 min). 6) Due Session 2: materials for the first draft of the anthology assignment (photographs, poetry, prose, etc.) for in-class work time.
Session 2: (45 min 75 min) 1) Anthologies workday. a. Students use class time to work individually, peer conference, and teacher conference. b. Computers or computer work time available for students to use the LCP archive. 2) Due Session 3: a first draft of written pieces for peer editing. Session 3: (45 min) 1) Peer Edit: In groups of three students read and edit peer work. 2) Due Session 4: final copy of the anthology. Session 4: (45+ min) 1) Anthologies Coffeehouse a. Arrange desks around the room so students may display their anthologies. b. Explain the sequence of the coffeehouse (bullet c, below) and hand out viewing and listening sheets (each student should receive a total of six sheets, three for viewing and three for the readings). c. During the coffeehouse alternate students reading pieces from their anthologies with time for students to view each other s anthologies. d. At the end of the coffeehouse collect the anthologies and the viewing/listening response sheets.
Where Am I? Anthology Assignment Sheet Anthology of Place Project This assignment asks you to reflect on your sense of place. What spaces and places are important to you? Why? How did you come to know these places? How have they changed over your lifetime, over the past 20, 50, 100 years? You will explore these questions creatively both with words and images as you create your own Anthology of Place. Your end product will include the following: Required: (check these off as you complete them) Illustrated cover with a title A final version of your landscape memory map 4 locations from your landscape memory map 8 written pieces o Including 2 poems and 2 prose pieces o At least 2 pieces per landscape location 4 historic photographs from the Landscape Change archive (at least one per location) 4 current photographs (at least one per location) A back cover In a separate folder you must include at least one rough draft for each piece included in your anthology. Now that you have the basics consider how you can go above and beyond in creating an exceptional piece that shows your connection to place: Consider paper size and color Include more poems Include more prose pieces Add more visuals Create a pop-up book You will be evaluated using the attached assessment checklist.
Where Am I? Viewing/Listening Response Sheet Viewing Walk the room and view all of the Anthologies of Place. Once you have done this, return to three anthologies and spend some time examining the pictures, poems, and prose in detail. In the space below answer the questions: What appeals to you about this anthology? What has the author done well? Please use complete sentences. Listening As you listen to each author read a poem or prose piece select three readings and answer the following questions: What did you like about the poem or prose piece? How did the author communicate their poem effectively through the reading? Please use complete sentences.
Where Am I? Final Assessment Checklist /2 /8 location) /1 Illustrated cover with a title Cover is creative and includes an engaging title. Final version of landscape memory map Original artistic work showing thoughtfulness and intentionality in creation of memory map. 4 locations from landscape memory map 8 written pieces (at least 2 pieces per landscape location) The tone of the written pieces in the anthology enhances the purpose of the writing. Word choice is lively and varied. Clearly communicates ideas. Free or almost free of grammar, usage, and mechanics errors. 2 poems and 2 prose pieces 4 photographs from the landscape change archive (at least one per Deliberate choices in landscape images enhance the overall meaning and impact of the work. 4 current photographs (at least one per location) Deliberate choices in landscape images enhance the overall meaning and impact of the work. Back cover Include at least one rough draft for each written piece in your anthology. /35
Memory Map Example 1
Memory Map Example 2